Direct peace talks |
THE Arab League’s endorsement of direct Palestinian talks with Israelis is another attempt to revive the moribund Mideast peace process. In the latest bid, League members gave the Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas the go-ahead at their Cairo meeting on Thursday. But by leaving the timing to the Palestinians, the League, in effect, has put the ball in the Palestinian court. The issue at stake is not when or where the talks should begin but how far the Israelis are prepared to go in conceding the Palestinians’ legitimate demands. Ever since the Obama administration has been pushing for a settlement, Israeli leaders have been putting up roadblocks on the roadmap to peace. Even Obama’s special envoy George Mitchell has not been able to bring both sides to a negotiating table despite year-long efforts, including indirect talks to facilitate face-to-face meetings at a later period. The reasons are well known.
Now, the scenario has not changed much or the position of both sides. If there is any shift in their position it is the Palestinian and Israeli leaders’ acceptance to meet and talk it over. They have agreed to it under tremendous pressure from US President Barack Obama whose aides see the direct talks as the only way to break the deadlock. But it’s not an easy task for Washington which has to play the key facilitator role. Before doing that it has to address the Palestinian concerns and conditions. Chief among them are Israeli freeze on settlements and return to 1967 borders — the two pre-conditions Israelis have been rejecting. In fact, Netanyahu has been consistently ruling out talks with pre-conditions. How the Israelis and Palestinian are going to reconcile their differences and resume direct talks after a gap of nearly two years is anybody’s guess. Nevertheless, Netanyahu has been publicly saying that he is keen on starting “direct and frank talks with the Palestinian Authority as soon as possible.” With the Arab League backing Abbas, he can finalise his agenda in consultation with his party which is expected to support his conditions.
But questions remain about Israeli leaders’ honesty in tackling the core issues that have been stalling the progress for years. The forward movement of talks when they begin will depend on a single point: Whether both sides will make compromises on the core issues. It is a hypothetical question at the moment. But it will determine the course and future of negotiations. Arab League chief Amr Moussa says written guarantees are needed for direct talks, a view Abbas has echoed. Bringing the Palestinian and Israeli leaders to an understanding is now Obama’s job. The League’s letter to him explaining the Arab position and the ‘fixed principles’ relating to a near agreement during talks between former Israeli premier Ehud Barak and the late Palestinian president Yasser Arafat should help him in preparing a common ground for the direct talks. Let’s hope if the two leaders meet they can probably try to open up. If they can, it’s a good beginning. |
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